The takes are flying. What will having a major superstar playing in one of the NBA’s biggest markets mean for the league? There’s no doubt about it — the NBA should love this move for a number of reasons.
Here are the five best things James in LA does for the NBA heading into 2018-19…
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1. Makes Lakers relevant again
We won’t use the word great yet because the Lakers have made 31 NBA Finals appearances and won 15 NBA championships.
Some fans and analysts made the jump that James is already the greatest player to put on a Lakers jersey. That’s cute, but Kobe Bryant, Wilt Chamberlain, Elgin Baylor, Gail Goodrich, Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Shaquille O’Neal, James Worthy, Jerry West and Jamaal Wilkes have their jerseys hanging in the rafters. That’s how you leave a mark in Los Angeles, and James will be expected to win championships there, too.
There will be drama, of course. Lance Stephenson and JaVale McGee are already on board, and Lonzo Ball could be traded. (Yep, LaVar Ball is still around.)
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“Showtime 3.0” will be just as entertaining off the court with that cast, and there are more new members to come. This isn’t Cleveland. The drama will be scrutinized tenfold in Los Angeles.
No matter what happens, an organization that averaged 24 wins the past four seasons is a contender again. We know what that means for the Western Conference…
2. Warriors have competition
The Lakers have LeBron, and they still won’t be favored in the West — or even in their home state.
Golden State will be shooting for a three-peat and a fourth NBA championship in five seasons. James presents another hurdle, but he won’t be the only one. Remember, Houston had a 3-2 advantage in the Western Conference finals, and they led Games 6 and 7 in the second halves despite losing Chris Paul.
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The potential second-round matchups in the West are fantastic. You could get Golden State-Oklahoma City and Houston-Los Angeles. Any combination works, honestly. That’s not even including Portland and New Orleans with Damian Lillard and Anthony Davis, respectively.
Six of the top seven players in last year’s NBA MVP voting now play in the West, and James makes that race even more competitive. What about the conference he ruled the last eight years?
3. Back to the future in the East
A non-LeBron team will represent the Eastern Conference, and Boston will be the favorite after coming within one game of reaching the NBA Finals last season. Brad Stevens is working with a loaded Celtics roster with rising stars like Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum, and Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward will return from injuries.
The 76ers will be in the mix, too, with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid leading the way. We got a taste of that series in the conference semifinals last year. This is also a chance for Giannis Antetokounmpo to take the Bucks to the next level.
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In other words, it feels like the 1980s in the East again. Like we said, the conference finals could potentially be Warriors-Lakers and Sixers-Celtics. Every NBA Finals combination works, and that comes with three classic brands.
By the way, the last time a non-LeBron team represented the East was in 2010 when the Celtics lost to the Lakers in seven games. What if we get that again next year?
4. Re-ignites Lakers vs. Celtics
Cavs owner Dan Gilbert facilitated the revival of the NBA’s greatest rivalry by trading Irving to Boston for Isaiah Thomas, then trading Thomas to Los Angeles. Now, we could potentially get a Finals series with Irving and James standing across from each other at some point.
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The NBA has been able to sell Lakers-Celtics since the franchises first met in the NBA Finals in 1962. It’s a generational rivalry that always leaves an impression, and nothing changes with Danny Ainge and Magic Johnson pulling the strings and the subplot between James and Irving.
Imagine how loud the “Beat LA” chants will be when James rolls into TD Garden now.
5. James writes his own verses
James has been the dominant figure in the NBA for 15 years through two stints with Cleveland and a four-year run in Miami in between. He’s 3-6 in the NBA Finals and firmly entrenched in the “greatest player ever” conversation with Michael Jordan. Some people think that’s over, but it’s not.
The move to LA creates another interesting plot twist with those legacy conversations. He didn’t create a super team, and he is facing the Warriors head on in their own conference. He’s taking on a much different challenge under the brightest possible spotlight. James was willing to accept all of that, which suggests he’s not even close to done yet.
James might be the best player to put on a Lakers jersey, but now he’ll be held to the same standard as his new boss. Magic Johnsons won five championships against the Celtics, Sixers and Pistons. Kobe and Shaq led a three-peat, and Bryant finished with five championships overall.
This is a rings-or-bust environment, one that is much different than Cleveland, where James surpassed expectations. If James wins a few titles in LA, he might just pass MJ once and for all.
One thing’s for sure — coast-to-coast, the NBA just became a lot more intriguing. That’s the power of the King.
